patchwork and quilting designs

It’s time to find all the blocks, the wadding and the backing and put the quilt together.

It is up to you whether you put it together first and then quilt it or whether you quilt each block – Quilt-as-you-go.

The instructions allow for either of these techniques but do not describe them in any detail. Border and binding instructions are given and the heart quilting in the border uses the heart template from the applique design last month, adapted to fit the space.

This one is machine appliqued but there is no reason why you can’t hand-stitch, or use glue if you prefer. The instructions do not include applique details – there are plenty of tutorials available for you to choose your own favourite method. Download the templates pattern here and the placement instructions here.

And a few colour ideas from EQ

No student’s blocks to show, sorry – not quick enough with the camera that month.

Some students preferred not to make an applique block and instead substituted a pieced block of their choice.

New Album is very simple block – a plain Square-in-a-Square block with a border. You can download the instructions here. The centre square is an ideal opportunity for ‘fussy cutting’ your print fabric (it doesn’t show too well on this snapshot from EQ) and you can do the same in the smaller cornerstones of the border.

Swapping the colours over gives the block a different look –

Or you can opt for something completely different using Autumnal batiks –